In what is probably one of the worst kept secrets in Marion County politics, or the end of a movie when you already have spoiler in hand, Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi announced today he is not seeking a third term as prosecutor. He endorsed Chief of Staff Helen Marchal as his successor. Those of us in Marion County are not surprised by this move by Brizzi. His ties to political financier Tim Durham who is under investigation by the Feds would make his re-election difficult. Some of us wonder “What took so long?” in today’s announcement.

Also, by this time 4 years ago, Carl Brizzi was already in heavy fundraising mode, and from what I have heard and seen so far none of that has happened to date. Brizzi did change the name of his campaign committee earlier in 2009 which led to rumors of his contemplating a run for Congress in what is now a crowded 5th District primary.

Some wonder the timing of this announcement, as another blogger states today was the last day to file for slating in Marion County. On a related note, there is no word yet on who will run for county offices such as assessor, clerk, recorder, etc.

Assuming Marchal is unopposed in the May primary, she will face one of several Democrats vying for the Prosecutor’s job.

Carl Brizzi’s letter to supporters is found by clicking the more button:

Dear Friends,
With the support of my family and after careful consideration, I have decided against seeking a third term as Marion County Prosecutor. This decision was not an easy one, but after serving as Prosecutor for the last seven years, I have wrestled with the question of whether I could make a commitment to serve an additional five years.
I am still incredibly passionate about the job we do and our commitment to a victim centered philosophy that criminals have a choice and victims don’t. I could not be any prouder of our accomplishments over the past seven years.
We ended 2009 with an overall jury trial conviction rate of 79%, and a 90% conviction rate in murder trials. The overall conviction rate is well above the national average of 71% and above the 70% conviction rate the office had in 2002, the year before I was elected prosecutor.
We have increased our conviction rates and expanded services while at the same time operating under budget and returning tax dollars back to the county general fund.
Our focus, however, has always been on more than just statistics. Working with the legislature, we changed the criminal code by enhancing the penalty for feticide, fixing the loopholes in child seduction, adding gang sentencing enhancements, and creating a methamphetamine registry.
I have always strived to maintain a balance between rehabilitation and punitive justice. However, criminals must be held accountable. We recently prosecuted, without apology, the individuals responsible for the worst crime in the history of the state. We convicted the Hamilton Avenue murderers and they will spend the rest of their lives behind iron bars.
Children have always been one of my top priorities. In my first year as Prosecutor, I created a mentoring program called, MYKID (Mentoring Youth: Kids Improving Directions), for children that are at risk of delinquent behavior. We are in five schools and mentor approximately 100 middle school students.
I have taken the fight to sex predators through cyberspace. Since 2006, our office has conducted online stings and arrested nearly 100 dangerous Internet sex predators through these sting operations. For every arrest, we have saved at least one child, and perhaps many more, from serious harm.
And, we expanded services in our child support division that has resulted in massive increases in yearly collections. In 2003, this division collected a total of $76 Million. In 2009 that number had risen by over $30 Million to over $106 Million.
It has been a great honor to serve as Prosecutor. I will continue to work hard for the best interests of our community and make 2010 another banner year for our office. Thank you for your support.

Carl Brizzi